According to reports Skip Holtz is emerging as the top candidate for the University of South Florida. The job became open after USF concluded in an investigation that Jim Leavitt slapped a walk-on player. While there are conflicting accounts to what really happened the fact remains Leavitt is out and the coaching carousel stops at an all too familiar place for Pirate fans, Greenville NC.

I’m going to go ahead and call it. With a team that had 28 seniors making next year a rebuilding year, Greg Hudson who doesn’t get nearly enough credit for ECU’s success abandoning ship for FSU and given the circumstances with Skip’s family ties down in Florida; Lou lives near Orlando and Skip’s wife is from Port Charlotte; they met at FSU. It just seems too easy; Skip will be the next USF coach if offered.

“I have gotten a call to find out if I had interest in talking to them,” Holtz said.” Obviously, there is interest from a standpoint of the league they play in, the Big East, and my parents live here in Orlando, my wife is from Port Charlotte. We would have four grandparents right there. There are a lot of positives to it. I think it’s definitely an up-and-coming program so, yeah, there would be interest.” – Holtz

If offered ECU fans should have no problems with Skip leaving. He’s been great for ECU. I can’t blame him and would be surprised if he didn’t move on to a BCS school especially one closer to his family. ECU fans are proud but at the same time I think there is an understanding between the fans and Holtz similar to the understanding Holtz has with Terry Holland. All or most of the Pirate fans I know have always expected Holtz to leave at some point and would be relatively cool with it if he ultimately does. There would be some grumbling if Holtz left on what could be argued a lateral move and it’s going sting just a little bit more after thinking he was staying put but by and large if Holtz is offered the USF job and decides that’s where he wants to be than all we can do is wish him the best. But let’s get USF on the schedule.

As for the next ECU coach, Greg Hudson would have been my #1 choice…..Hey Florida, can we at least get Steve Logan back?

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9 Comments For This Post

Ohhhh the woes of the coaching carousel! I choose to think if he leaves that we (ECU) used him as a stepping stone not the other way around; is this way too optimistic? Even with that being said I do have separation anxiety issues, let me call my shrink now!

Obviously we all knew this was coming, but what happens next? Last time the program was on the rise and lost a head coach we hired John Thompson and regressed 10 years. Skip spent five years rebuilding just to get us back to where Logan left off…

Foster would be a great hire and we would need to bring in an offensive mind to correlate Foster’s defensive prowess. However, Virginia Tech has probably got Bud Foster locked up as a replacement for Frank Beamer whenever he steps down. Foster, 50, is in his 23rd year at Virginia Tech. He is making $402,000 this year and he just got a raise. Holtz’s base salary is $655,000 for 2010, though he has several bonus incentives that increase the amount.

East Carolina Football is about a “program”, not a “coach”. Pirate Nation is getting used to big-time college football and I think it’s great. The key is to support the PIRATES – not a particular coach. The Administration is the most important thing. As long as we have a good Chancellor and AD, coaches are interchangeable. We happen to have a good one in Skip Holtz and I thank him for what he’s done. Hope he is here next year and for years to come. But if he’s not, I will still increase my Pirate Club donation this year and will max out on my season tickets! Go Pirates!